Oleum amygdalarum amarum - Oolong tea

Oleum amygdalarum amarum

[oyle amigdalaru' amaru']

The Latin term for OIL of BITTER ALMONDs. It was used largely in APOTHECARY shops, where medicinal ingredients were given in their Latin form, often heavily abbreviated, or partly in English and partly in Latin.

See also BITTER ALMOND, OIL OF ALMONDS.
Sources: Inventories (early).

Oleum amygdalarum dulciarum

[ol. amige dulc; ol amigd d]

The Latin term for OIL of SWEET ALMONDs. It was used largely in APOTHECARY shops in which medicinal ingredients were given in their Latin form, often heavily abbreviated, or partly in English and partly in Latin.

Found in units of LB

See also OIL OF ALMONDS, SWEET ALMOND.
Sources: Inventories (early), Inventories (mid-period), Inventories (late).

Oleum aurantiorum

[ol aurantior]

The OIL extracted from ORANGE PEEL. It was not in the Pharmacopoeia, but served a minor role in medicine.

Sources: Inventories (late).

Oleum genistae

[oyle geneste]

A medicinal OIL derived from GENISTA

Sources: Inventories (early).

Oleum juniperi

[oleum-juniperi; ol junip'r; ol juniperin; ol juniper]

An OIL distilled from unripe JUNIPER BERRIES, used in medicine as a stimulant and diuretic [Lloyd (1895)]. It was almost invariably given its Latin name, denoting its use in medicine. However, in a statute dated 1704 it was called 'Oil of Juniper', and included among unrated DRUGS [Acts (1704)], although it was back in the Books of Rates by 1784 [Rates (1784)]. According to John Houghton, it was also 'an excellent good varnish for pictures, for wood-work, and to preserve polished iron from rust' [Houghton].

Not found in the OED

Found described as a CHEMICAL OIL
Found in units of DRACHM, OZ Found rated by the POUND

See also CHEMICAL OIL.
Sources: Acts, Inventories (mid-period), Inventories (late), Rates.
References: Lloyd (1895).

Oleum lavandulae

[ol lavendul']

The Latin name for OIL OF LAVENDER

Not found in the OED

Found described as a CHEMICAL OIL

See also CHEMICAL OIL.
Sources: Inventories (late).

Oleum origani

[oyle of origanum; oyle of origanu'; oleum-origani; ol. origan; ol origanu'; ol origani]

An OIL either expressed or distilled from the leaves of ORIGANUM. Although found sometimes in English as, for example, 'Oyle of Origanum' [Inventories (1634)], it is more often found in the Latin, denoting its use in medicine, although a late-nineteenth century quotation in the OED instructed that its use for medicinal purposes should be avoided.

OED earliest date of use: 1897 under Origanum

Found in units of DRACHM, OZ Found rated by the POUND

Sources: Inventories (early), Inventories (mid-period), Inventories (late), Rates.

Oleum philosophorum

[ol philosophorum]

According to Edward Phillips' New World of English Words, the 'Oil of Philosophers' was a 'Chymical Preparation of pieces of Brick heated red hot, soak'd in Oil of Olives, and afterwards distill'd in a Retort' [Phillips (1706), quoted in the OED, Philosopher]. Ure, under Brick oil, gave much the same recipe, adding that 'Brick oil is a relic of old pharmacy' [Ure (1875)]. It was therefore a medicinal preparation, though no indication has been found as to how it was used. There is only one example in the Dictionary Archive, and this was among the stock of a merchant rather than an APOTHECARY. It seems to have been very cheap, since 6 OUNCE was valued at only 1d [Inventories (1690)].

OED online earliest date of use: 1706 under Philosopher

Found in units of OZ

Sources: Inventories (mid-period).
References: Ure (1875).

Olive glass

[olive glasse]

An article of FURNITURE; possibly a LOOKING GLASS in an OLIVE - WOOD frame, although it may have been no more than an oval-shaped glass, since olive seems occasionally to have been used in this sense.

Not found in the OED

Found described as Dress

See also DRESSING GLASS.
Sources: Inventories (mid-period), Inventories (late).

Olive plums

[olive plom'es; olive plomes]

The olive plum is the name given to any tree in the genus Elæodendron, which has olive-like fruits. This is unlikely to be what has been noted in a list of preserved PLUMs of various sorts [Inventories (1624)]. More probably they were either SUGAR PLUMs of an olive-green colour, or OLIVEs preserved as a SWEET MEAT in sugar. There may have been a variety of PLUM called 'olive plum, but it was not included in the list of plums drawn up, probably by John Tradescant, in about 1620 [Bodleian Library MS Ashmole 1461].

Only found in the OED as a tree

Found in units of LB

Sources: Inventories (early).

Oolong tea

A dark variety of cured tea. According to Simmonds' Dictionary of Trade, it possessed many of the qualities of GREEN TEA [Simmonds (1906)]. It was not imported into this country before the mid-nineteenth century.

OED earliest date of use: 1852

References: Simmonds (1906).